Two Rivers Always Meet at the Sea
by Yellowbeans
Summary: Sasuke has come to destroy Konoha, but finds it in all of Pein's ruins. He sees the bodies and destruction, and is livid. Why? Why is it so hard to leave this all behind? Team 7 for the win! Rated for Falcon's potty mouthes. Probably NaruSaku.
1. Chapter 1

Okay, well this fic will probably not be cannon by next week when the newest Naruto chapter comes out, but I still want to write it. It's been in my head for a long time, and I loved the idea. Please don't kill me if it's not a pairing you like. I'm not a Karin hater, so I'm not going to bash her. Oh, and sorry if you think someone's OOC, but this is how I view their personalities and how they'd react. Anyway, I believe it's one of my better pieces, so I appreciate those who read and especially those who review!

Enjoy!

* * *

Well fuck.

That was unexpected.

Sasuke arched an eyebrow as he cast his gaze over the huge span of ruins and rubble.

"What the fuck happened here?" Suigetsu slouched against a large stone, not really expecting an answer.

Destruction far beyond what the eye could see. Konoha in ruins.

Sasuke's brow knit. That was _his_ job. " . . . The fuck?"

"Hard on hearing? That's what I just said," Suigetsu looked around in disinterest.

"We're going down," Sasuke's robes flapped out behind him as he leapt down from their perch.

"I just sat, damn it!" Suigetsu groaned before following Karin and Juugo down.

"Tough shit, fishboy," Karin cuffed the back of his head violently. "Sasuke's the leader."

"I never agreed to this!"

"Well, actually-"

"Shut up Juugo," Suigetsu growled.

"Shut the fuck up, all of you," Sasuke glared over his shoulder. He chose his steps carefully through the rubble. His gut churned as he felt himself step on something wet and warm. He'd walked through someone's blood.

"What the hell could have happened?" Karin asked, kneeling over something Sasuke couldn't see. "I've never been here, but I'd heard it was full of busy streets and houses and people. I can hardly tell one thing from another, now. There are no more houses, and no more people," her voice cracked. Sasuke could see her shoulders shake underneath her robe.

"What's the problem? It's not like we haven't killed before," Suigetsu crossed his arms.

"Suigetsu, have you ever killed something like this?" Karin stood up slowly and turned around. In her arms lay a four-year-old girl with blonde braids and blue eyes. Her eyes were filled with terror, but also love and concern. Her small fists were balled around a white bundle.

Salty nausea collected underneath Sasuke's tongue as he realized what was inside the bundle. He faintly wondered whether it was a brother or a sister she was protecting.

The little girl had a sword wound run completely through her, soaking her tattered yellow sundress in crimson.

With a haunted, hollow feeling in the pit of his stomach Sasuke glided to Karin. He took the little girl from her and stared. Would he have had the strength to do this? Hadn't he declared he would demolish every last one of Konoha's inhabitants? Even for Itachi, he though, he couldn't have killed this child, or any other. Itachi had wanted to protect him, his youth, and his innocence. It wouldn't have been right for him to destroy what Itachi fought to protect.

He lifted his hand and placed his fingers over the girl's eyelids, slowly dragging them down.

Anger welled inside him. The elders. It was their damn fault that this girl died, they couldn't protect her, or maybe they _didn't_ because they were too _preoccupied_.

"I'll kill them," he seethed. "I'll kill them for you," his voice dropped to a whisper as he spoke to the girl who looked so peaceful now. "And every other child who suffered this way." With a naïve sense of hope he ran a hand over the bundle, hoping there was a trace of life that he could rescue from this hell. He found none. "Be at peace with your sister," he whispered.

"Sasuke . . . " Karin reached out to him, and he let her take the children. "I'll take care of them then meet up with you later."

"Don't go to far," he warned as she began to walk away. She glanced over her shoulder and with tears in her eyes, nodded.

"Let's keep moving," Sasuke motioned for Suigetsu and Juugo to move out.


	2. Chapter 2

For a while they trudged in silence. The more Sasuke looked around, the more he saw the disgusting carnage of whatever war had been waged. Bodies and severed appendages lay everywhere. Sasuke saw so many more children, all dead with huge eyes filled with terror.

The wreckage seemed to be affecting even the most unfeeling of hearts. Suigetsu stopped for a moment to wipe blood away from a child's eye.

Sasuke clenched his fists hard enough to draw blood. Why was he feeling so protective of his old home? Hadn't he left with ease so many years ago?

"You left, Sasuke. This isn't your home," Juugo's voice was colder than usual as he spied the blood dripping from Sasuke's nails.

"I know," he replied. "But that doesn't mean that I don't have my own way. No matter if we'd found Sunagakure or Mizugakure like this, I'd be angry. Killing those who are guilty is a matter of perspective and justification. Killing those who are innocent and completely unconcerned with the problem is unpardonable." He tried to convince himself of his own words.

They wove in and out of rubble for a few more minutes before Karin rejoined them, still wiping away a tear.

"I could see," Karin sniffled, "from the cliff that there was a section not far to the east with a few walls still standing. Any survivors are likely taking shelter there."

Sasuke nodded and redirected the group. The walls, this term used loosely, were soon visible, as were faint movements within them.

"They're arguing," Karin noted. She had the best hearing of any of them. "But I can't distinguish any single voices or subject."

"They sound angry," Juugo noted as they drew closer.

"I wonder why?" Suigetsu asked sarcastically.

Sasuke ignored them. They were annoying.

"We should leave the robes, Sasuke," Karin's voice was quiet.

"Why?" Suigetsu demanded,

"Well, if we plan on speaking with-"

"If we plan on _what_?" he demanded.

"We need to know what happened," was Sasuke's simple reply.

Sugetsu just shook his head. "And what the hell are you planning to say? What are you gonna ask about? _Who_ are you gonna ask? Sasuke, think ahead for once!"

"Shut up Suigetsu, you idiot!" Karin's fist sailed right through his head.

"Karin would you quit it?" he reeled on her, shouting in her face.

"Shut _up_!" she repeated. "Someone's going to hear you!"

"Juugo . . . " Sasuke muttered. Silently. Juugo stepped between the two feuding teammates and pushed them beyond arms length from one another.

"Cooperate, will you?" Sasuke asked dryly as he continued to walk along the destruction, towards the makeshift outpost.


	3. Chapter 3

Yay! Two chapters up in ONE (count it, ONE) day! I'm really getting attached to this story, haha. It's fun. And angsty. REALLY angsty. As another pairing warning, I'll probably end up pairing Shikamaru and Ino together, just incase somebody will hate me for not telling. But seriously, pairings are not the reason I'm writing this story. Really, it's because Team Seven is the best, most ass-kicking, team there ever was. I was really tempted to make it a NaruSasuSaku fic, but I tried and failed, so NaruSaku it is. Anyway, like I said, not written for romance specifically, but who doesn't love a rose here or there? Haha. I love this chapter, I love Ino, I love Sakura, I love Tsunade, I (spoiler) loved Kakashi, I love Shikamaru, and despite his total bastardly behavior, I love Sasuke.

* * *

Completely inanimate, Sasuke perched on a high-reaching ledge of the wall, soon joined by all three of his teammates staggered along the stone face wherever a protrusion could be found.

He _knew_ the voices and faces on the other side. It was an odd sensation to see them all through his small peephole.

"No!" a single voice resonated above all others in the camp so tortured and mournful.

His eye swiveled to see Sakura pumping green chakra into an unidentifiable form.

"Sakura! You must stop this! There are-" Tsunade rested a hand on Sakura's shoulder, but the kunoichi instantly struck it aside, intense anger raging through her eyes. "There is nothing else you can do," the blonde's voice was much quieter.

Sakura ignored her and forced more of the chakra through her fingertips. Even from this distance Sasuke could see Sakura's efforts where all in vain, the silhouette was unresponsive.

"Sakura, listen to me! There are others here who _need_ your help! I haven't got enough chakra left to heal more than one person, I can't have you waste your skills on a lost cause!" the Hokage shouted.

Tears of frustration began slipping down Sakura's cheeks, but she bit the insides of her cheeks and paid no attention.

Sasuke's breath caught in his lungs. No way. It wasn't-

"Sakura, serve your village! There are people dying, we need your help! Please, as your sensei, I'm begging you!"

"You're my master, not my sensei!" the pinkette screamed. Her eyes were closed to squeeze out all the tears and clear her vision. Her back was still to the Godaime, leaned over the hopeless patient.

"I know what it's like to lose a sensei, Sakura, but-"

"I HAVEN'T LOST HIM YET!" her shoulders shook.

"He's not breathing. He has no pulse."

Sakura flung herself over Kakashi's body and wailed like a small child. "Kakashi-sensei, please! Please don't leave us! Show Tsunade-sama you're still with us! I know you still care! Don't leave Naruto and me all alone! Kakashi-sensei!"

"Sakura, pick yourself up now!" Tsunade obviously had tears rolling down her cheeks. She chose to ignore them. "What is shinobi law twenty-five?" she bit her lip as she finished.

Sakura's body wracked with convulsing tears. "N-no matter wh-what the situation . . . a sh-shinobi must keep emotions on th-the inside . . . you must make your mission top, pr-priority . . . a-and you must possess a h-heart th-that n-never shows t-tears," she choked.

"Are you a shinobi?"

" . . . "

"Answer me Sakura!"

"I-I don't know!" she shouted.

"Listen to me Sakura," Tsunade said after Sakura had picked herself up. "Find Ino. I'll let you go out and look for Naruto if you can bring Ino here to do the healing."

Pink hair whirled as Sakura faced her master. "You'll-"

"Sakura," Sasuke pivoted his gaze to see Ino approaching, Shikamaru practically slung over her shoulder. One of his legs was bent at an unnatural angle. "You've got to pick yourself up!"

"Ino," the pinkette murmured, averting her gaze, one hand still absent-mindedly on Kakshi's chest.

"Sakura, get your ass into gear! Naruto's out there going crazy chasing after Pein! He needs your help!" Ino began gently propping Shikamaru by a large chunk of loose wall.

Sakura's fists clenched. "After all this time, still the only thing I can do is cry!" she howled angrily.

Ino knelt before her, grasping Sakura's shoulders and forcing Sakura's green eyes to meet her blue. "That's not true! Please, Sakura, believe in yourself. You _are_ strong enough to do something, to help. Crying doesn't mean you're weak; it means you're human. Sitting there and refusing to move on, _that's_ weakness. I know you aren't weak, Sakura. I've always known. Please save your friend. Once you've done that, you and I will get through this together, I promise. But for now, _you_ need to save Naruto."

"Ino . . . " she stared at her friend, then threw her arms around the blonde's neck. "Thank you, Ino. Thank you."

Sasuke felt a faint stirring in his . . . gut? No . . . his heart?


	4. Chapter 4

It bothered Sasuke that he couldn't make out the entire situation. Had . . . the dobe . . . done this? Why was the Akatsuki leader involved? What the fuck happened, damnit!?

"Sasuke . . . " Karin murmured, eyeing his tense form. She had perched closest to him, as expected.

"Don't bother me, Karin," he brushed her off coldly. He ignored her wounded expression and set his jaw tightly. With a deep, calming breath, he fluttered lightly to the ground. His pulse was shaking his entire body, but he forced him self to keep just out of vision around the wall's corner.

"How far has Captain Yamato gotten?" Sakura's voice asked, suddenly very professional.

"I can't say. I'm not sure if he's even left yet." Sasuke peeked around the corner to see Tsunade biting her lower lip.

"He has," Sasuke saw Sai approach the small gathering. Looking at the bastard made Sasuke's blood boil.

"Sai! You're supposed to be with Yamato and Anko!" Tsunade looked distrusting as she sized the teenager up.

"Forgive me, Tsunade-sama. Anko-san assured me that she would be able to handle the situation after Captain Yamato left. I was worried about Naruto-kun, but I thought I'd report in."

Why was _that_ idiot worried about Naruto? What did _he_ know about the dobe?

"Sai, come with me, we'll find Captain Yamato, then Naruto," Sakura declared, a new resolve burning in her eyes.

"I must report everything to Tsunade-sama first. There is a situation concerning Danzou-sama at the moment. I will join you shortly."

The pinkette nodded and began to head for the break in the wall Sasuke hid behind. He stole one more quick breath before she reached him. He clamped a hand over her mouth and pressed her to the outer shell of the wall.

Once he was sure no one from Konoha could see them, he chanced a look at her. Her pupils were tiny and her eyes were wide as she stared at him. Her face was completely drained of all color. Had his hand not been securely placed over her mouth, he was sure it would have hit the ground. A few moments passed between them in dead silence before Sakura started struggling. He held a firm grip, but she grew frustrated and bit down hard on his palm, chewing through a good chunk of his flesh. He bit his tongue but released her mouth.

"What the _hell_ do you think you're doing here?" she hissed. Sasuke noticed, however, she was throwing glances to be sure no one was coming. She was protecting his secrecy.

"What happened here?" he asked calmly, quietly.

"I asked you what you're doing here!" she gave an agitated sigh and pulled him by his wrist into the near-by forest's edge. As soon as they were under cover of the foliage, she dropped his arm like it was some pile of shit.

He straightened up and stared at her impassively.

"I should kill you!" she was pacing wildly. "I should tear limb from _fucking_ limb!"

"Then why haven't you?" he asked calmly.

She stopped. "Don't think that . . . I don't . . . " she sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Why now, Sasuke?" she sounded defeated as she looked back up at him.

"What happened?" he repeated slowly.

"Why now? Why not one of the hundreds of other days before, or any number that will . . . may," she corrected herself, "come? Why today? Why now?"

"Lucky guess," he was growing irritated. "Now tell me what happened!"

"No," she drew her eyebrows together as though it should have been the most obvious answer.

"Tell me, Sakura!" he lost his cool for a moment.

"It doesn't concern you!" she shouted at him. He drew back in surprise.

"Doesn't concern me?" he parroted.

"No. See this?" she fiddled her forehead protector between her fingers. "This only concerns Konoha ninjas. All Konoha ninjas wear _these_. Where's yours, Sasuke?"

"Right here."

Both Team Seven members whipped around to see a dark haired boy with a forehead protector in his outstretched hand.

"Sai! I wasn't- I didn't- when did you-?"Sakura stumbled through her words. Sasuke noticed her taking a good size step away from him.

Sai just smiled at her. _Damn that creepy smile_, Sasuke thought to himself. Lucky for Sasuke it disappeared as the artist's gaze shifted to him. He glanced at his outreached hand, then back to Sasuke. Sasuke eyed it warily.

"That can't be mine," he wrinkled his nose disdainfully. This freaky bastard couldn't have his forehead protector. It had to have long since been trashed or burned or shredded out of sheer frustration or anger. Or maybe it had just been left there in the valley where no one would ever find it again, let alone care. It had been soiled, not only by the dobe's scratch but also by his name. Sasuke was sure that his name was not one welcomed warmly by the village. He was also sure that they'd never want to acknowledge that he'd been "wrong" in trusting him, calling him a prodigy, taking pride and pity in him. The elders were cruel that way.

Sai's face remained impassive, but he let the metal part clenched in his fist slip out so he held it by one end of the tie.

Sasuke felt as though he'd been knocked upside the head. Sure as he was an Uchiha, the metal band bore a deep scratch that only claws could make. Not the mention the fact that the way the metal still smelled of that Kyuubi chakra. Sasuke was no nin dog, but the angry, bloody, singed scent was unmistakable.

"Naruto showed it to me. I asked if I could borrow it to draw. It is a very aesthetically interesting object. He agreed on the terms that I never leave it alone. I must always carry it with me. I'd planned on returning it once he came back, finishing the piece ten days ago. Then this happened," he glanced over his shoulder. "It belongs to you. Naruto kept it all this time. I imagine he'd want you to have it."

"Stop speaking like he's dead!" Sakura shrieked. "He'll be fine, you'll see." Her angry gaze flickered to Sasuke. "What the hell am I doing wasting my time with you?! I've _got_ to get to him!" she clutched her temples and made a noise of frustration. "Why do I waste my time with you? Why haven't I punched your arrogant face in? Gah!" she rammed her fist into a near by innocent tree, causing a thunderous crack and crash as the tree died and fell.

Sasuke's gaze was still glued to the worn metal band. He'd always pictured the remains of Team Seven burning it, all the while getting drunk and proclaiming: "to hell with that bastard!"

"What's the little Leaf nin gonna do?" came a mocking voice.

Sasuke's jaw tightened. He _reeaaalllllllyyy_ didn't want to deal with the annoying Mist ninja at the moment. Especially if said shinobi felt brave enough to mock him to his face. He shot a death glare up to a low branch not too far away where the lazy swordsman rested. Karin and Juugo were scattered near by in mere moments, their expressions unreadable.

"You think it'd all turn out all right if you just take that thing and tie it around your forehead? You think all you've done will be forgotten? Or even forgiven?" Suigetsu's eyes narrowed considerably. "I wouldn't be too sure." He jumped down from the branch silently, a bundle under his left arm. "Aren't _these_," he shifted the bundle to reveal the red cloud on the cloak, "the symbols of you current loyalties?"

He heard Sakura gasp. His gaze shifted to her while the rest of his body stayed idle.

"I hate you, Sasuke!" she shouted, anger blazing through her eyes before she spat in his direction and bolted, yanking Sai along with her.

He was tempted to call out, but resisted.

"Well, Sasuke?" Suigetsu looked almost betrayed, as his face grew closer to the Uchiha's.

Inexplicable anger rose in the raven's throat. He grabbed Suigetsu by the collar and rammed him into the base of a large tree. "I will do anything for what I believe is right. If avenging Itachi means avenging Konoha, or even joining with old comrades again then so be it. If you don't agree with me, leave. I have no place for those not willing to serve with me for my cause."

"You are just fucked up, aren't you?" Suigetsu snarled, despite the obvious fear in his eyes. "You can't realize you're really doing this to save that demon. Why the hell do you care about some_thing_ that's not human!?"

Sasuke's grip tightened and his other hand drew back to smash the sword nin's face in. "_Demon_?"

"That's what it is, isn't it? A demon. Just like those other ones. Like the stupid eight tails that almost ripped Falcon apart. Is the nine tails so much more powerful it will succeed?"

It shouldn't have, but the fact that Suigetsu called the dobe an _it_ bothered him even more than the fact he called the idiot a demon.

"You're wrong. This is for Itachi."

"Every time I say _it_ a blood vessel in your temple throbs. Did you know that?"

The stupid bastard pissed Sasuke off to _no end_!

"So what if it's for the nine tails?" Suigetsu asked.

"It's for Itachi!" Sasuke shouted, shoving him harder into the wood.

"Who said it can't be for both of them?"

Sasuke was caught off guard by this statement. He made no reply.

"I don't give a fuck who we're doing this for. I just want you to be honest with us. If we're willing to stay with you, why won't you tell us what you're thinking? We've had a million chances but none of us have walked away. Why won't you tell us the truth? I'm not leaving," Suigetsu's eyes burned righteously.

" . . . I still don't know why we're doing this," Sasuke admitted. "But I _do_ know I have to."


	5. Chapter 5

"Karin, where'd they go?" Sasuke dropped his hold on Suigetsu.

The redhead shut her eyes tightly and pressed two fingers together in front of her lips. For a moment, no one breathed. "Damn," she muttered, scrunching her eyes tighter.

"Karin?" Juugo approached her.

"I'm fine Juugo. That stupid dark haired one is a tracking type too. The girl must have asked him to suppress their signals. I just need another minute," she hissed through clenched teeth. She made one more grunt of frustration, then reopened her eyes. "N-North-west . . . about twenty-two, sixty-seven."

"Thank you, Karin, because coordinates really help us, especially when everyone of us knows the teleportation jutsu, right?" Suigetsu snarled sarcastically.

"Shut your mouth before I literally shove your foot in there," she warned, but spared him little attention, looking to Sasuke for guidance.

"Hn. Let's move," he turned and waved over his shoulder for them to follow. They darted out of the thin woods and across the carnage. Northwest was across the length-wise span of the village. Sasuke never prayed, but he did ask whatever greater power existed to keep their presence as inconspicuous as possible. He then proceeded to that said greater power after reaching the other side of the ruins without once being noticed.

"There's no one following us?" Juugo asked Karin, once safely out of the radius of the destroyed town.

Karin shook her head. "No one."

"Hn," Sasuke was surprised to find that he could still navigate his way through the forest that completely surrounded Konoha, earning it the title of Hidden Leaf. The once-great village was a disgrace to its name. "Are we gaining any ground?" he asked.

Karin bit her lip as she focused. She shook her head. "They're moving fast," she noted.

"Damnit," Sasuke muttered. He was too shaky with trees. It'd been a while since he'd needed to tree hop, and as a result had forfeited speed to some extent. However, Sasuke would not allow something so meager as lack of practice to hold him back, so he put on an extra burst of speed and began to pursue at a faster rate.

_God damn it!_ Sasuke clenched his fist. Such things were so pointless to think about! Why did he care about such meaningless things? It was all too confusing. It was all too hard to decipher. Why couldn't it all be as simple as destruction? Sasuke had become so used to destruction. It was easy, mindless. It required only a strong body and one emotion, anger. _This_, this required a stable mind, a strong soul, and so many emotions he hadn't felt in years. Sasuke wasn't sure he possessed any of those, let alone the capability to cope if they ever decided to bless him with their presence.

"Sasuke, stop!" The redhead jolted Sasuke from his thoughts. He immediately halted and whipped around to look at her.

"They're just through that clearing," Karin's voice was shaky. Beside her Suigetsu and Juugo both stood with stiff shoulders and wide eyes.

After silently reprimanding himself for dropping his guard, Sasuke re-alerted his senses. The energy levels were so far beyond any he'd ever imagined could exist. They were absolutely _monstrous_. Wait, monstrous . . . He let the tiniest gasp escape his lips.

"Is this power the ninetails?" Karin demanded, recomposing herself.

It was familiar, indeed. Sasuke had felt the Kyuubi's chakra twice. Even upon meeting the demon face to face it had not been this bloodthirsty.

"The other two . . . are they there too?" Sasuke asked, ignoring Karin's question. He couldn't sense anything else other than the ninetail's suffocating presence that fried all of his awareness.

"Yes," she replied. "The levels are raised, but they can't be fighting, there's no fluctuation."

"Watching," Juugo deduced, he too regaining his state of mind. "They must be watching. Pein's chakra is there too" Karin nodded to confirm this diagnosis.

Sasuke nodded to himself, still not over the initial shock of the Kyuubi chakra that had sent his mind reeling.

"Well now what?" Suigetsu, too, had over come his state of shell shock.

"We have to talk with Sakura," Sasuke recomposed himself as quickly as he could.

"They're about ten yards, that way," Karin pointed to the edge of the clearing left of them.

"I need two of you to take down the artist, and one to help me with Sakura," Sasuke began forming a plan in his head. "Karin, you and Juugo need to take him out as soon as possible. We have no business with him, but we can't hurt him too badly, or we'll have even more of a difficult time convincing Sakura to listen. Suigetsu and I will take Sakura. She doesn't use many jutsus, but she is undoubtedly threatening. Do _not_ get hit with a punch," he shot the sometimes-careless swordsman a pointed look.

"Yeah, yeah, let's go," Suigetsu rolled his eyes.

Sasuke narrowed his own, but indeed shot off. It took all of a second to reach the pinkette and her companion.

"Sakura!" the creepy bastard shouted. Sasuke was relieved that he couldn't sense them until they were too close, due to the fact that the demonic chakra easily overtook that other ninjas. He'd been too late, and was just now receiving a nice blow to the jaw courtesy of Juugo.

The look Sakura gave him in the brief moments before the brawl began made him feel less like a falcon and more like a descending demon.


End file.
